Description
Available again to order. Price tbc
Unsurpassed Vinyl 6LP + 4CD Box Set Collection Documents Best Sides from Unheralded Soul and R&B Great!
In the decades since Syl Johnson exited Chicago’s Twinight label for Memphis’ Hi Records concern, the world has been struggling to grasp and package the early years of this legendary soul man’s career. Endless compilations, botched bootlegs and shabby two-fers litter his section card, ear and eyesores all. Four years in the making, Complete Mythology is by far the most exhaustively researched and meticulously presented work from The Numero Group to date. Encompassing the first 15 years of a career that spans half a century, Complete Mythology not only covers his obvious hits but shines a light into the dark corners of a true musical visionary.
Born Sylvester Thompson in Holly Springs, Mississippi, Johnson sang and played with blues artists Magic Sam, Billy Boy Arnold, Junior Wells and Howlin’ Wolf in the 1950s, before recording with Jimmy Reed for Vee-Jay in 1959. His break was to come recording for Twinight Records of Chicago in 1967. Johnson dominated the label as both a hit maker and producer, providing such hits as “Come On Sock It to Me,” “Different Strokes” (one of the most heavily sampled songs in the history of recorded music, paid homage by N.W.A., Kid Rock, Michael Jackson, J. Dilla and dozens of others), “Is It Because I’m Black” (which reached No. 11 on the Billboard R&B charts in 1969), among many more.
Included on the 81-track, 6LP + 4CD box set are re-mastered versions of no less than twenty eight singles from the Twinight, Federal, Cha-Cha, Tmp-Ting, Special Agent, and Zachron labels, facsimiles of the Dresses Too Short and Is It Because I’m Black albums, ten previously unreleased tracks and detailed track by track notes from acclaimed music historian Bill Dahl. The accompanying booklet contains an essay, scores of previously unpublished photos, a sampling index, and complete discography, all presented in a lavish hard bound box. For the uninitiated this is history, for those familiar this is respect for one the greatest musical artists of our time.
“With Johnson’s output scattered amidst various inferior compilations and out-of-print collections, Numero’s heroic set is the first release that gives the cult figure what he’s long been overdue: A musically exhaustive, incredibly detailed, meticulously produced, and stunningly annotated anthology that convincingly makes a case for Johnson as a soul, funk, and R&B great.”
–Bob Gendron, TONE Audio, Issue 33
“”Complete Mythology” does a tremendous job of collecting Johnson’s far-flung, difficult-to-find recordings for various Chicago labels in the ‘60s, when he was blending uptown-soul sophistication with syncopated groove. He never scored that big breakthrough hit, but his music had personality and bite, and the “Is it Because I’m Black” album – presented in its entirety as part of this six-LP, four-CD box – stands as an under-appreciated civil-rights era milestone.”
–Greg Kot, Chicago Tribune, December 1, 2010
